Window's install hangs at formatting????

[ruefy13]

Hi everyone,

I just put together a Shuttle SN95G5 for my brother and am having problems installing Windows XP Pro. i do have an SP1 version of the install and plan on updating to SP@ after install if that matters. Well the WD SATA drive is recognized fine in the BIOS and windows install starts up fine and i choose partitions, but when i finally choose the partition to install on and then select full NTFS format, it goes to the format screen and just sits there with 0% formatted. As far as i've read i don't need to install the SATA raid drivers with F6 at the begining of windows install but i dont know why it wont format. Is it because i am not using a SP2 CD??? I dont know if that would matter. Plaease help me out. Thanks

 

[fbrdphreak]

Okay, let's try to decipher this.
First, you do not need SP2 to install with a SATA drive.
Second, for ANY SATA drive you must provide the drivers. This is done by using the included SATA/RAID drivers disc (You can also usually make updated versions of these discs with a utility from the mobo manufacturer's wesite). You press F6 (as you mentioned) at the beginning of the XP Install when it prompts you. After it loads the rest of the drivers, it will ask you to insert the floppy and press S to select the files. Select the pertinent files and proceed. From there you should be able to manipulate the discs.
From my experience, you have to have the SATA drivers installed to even see the hard drive in Windows install. From what you are saying, you can see the drive but cannot format. The only thing I can think of is that the disc might be faulty. If you have another desktop you can connect to, I would hook up the drive and try to test it out. Write back once you've tested some stuff out

 

[ruefy13]

Thanks i should have explained the SN95G5 better on this forum.....you don't need the SATA drivers for it because the bios can detect the SATA hard drive...you only need to install the RAID drivers if you are going to raid two HD's. and just for kicks i did start an install and go with the F6 and install the RAID drivers and to my surprise it still hung at the format......this has got me completely confused.......

 

[fbrdphreak]

Well, then I would say it is one of three things:
(1) Mobo (unlikely)
(2) Your copy of XP (possible)
(3) The Hard drive -- Test it on another system or RMA it
GL

 

[ruefy13]

Also....i got an install to work about an hour ago by using the datalifeguard tools from WD to format it first then installing windows....but here's the prob after i had all my drivers installed all nice I went to update to SP2 with an update disc i have....well that somehow failedhalf way through and couldnt find a file even though i have used it on many other PC's and it corrupted my windows and i got continuous reboots after that so i'm starting over now but still have to use the datalifeguard tools first to format the drive.....how is that possible??/

 

[fbrdphreak]

I would stop going round and round, just RMA the drive and while you're waiting slipstream SP2 onto the XP install disc. I might also try to get a known working copy of XP, sounds like you might also have issues with that. XP disc or HDD is your prob, just gotta figure out which

 

[ruefy13]

Wow this is a wierd problem and i know i must be missing something stupid.....just tried anoth WD sata drive i had around and had same problem where windows install just sits at 0% during formatting. How can this be possible??

 

[fbrdphreak]

Try another XP install disc. Doesn't matter what version, SP1/2/etc, just try another. You never know....

 

[ruefy13]

Well i ended up giving up with the SATA drive and got an IDE and all is well...everything worked perfect...so it is something with the SATA controller/drive or XP install...maybe i need XP install with SP2....by the way this isn't on this one system as i am building two and same thing happens on both with the SATA drive and i also tried a different windows install disc(pre SP1) and it did the same thing...........wierd

 

[fbrdphreak]

definitely weird, glad to see you got it working tho, GL